School money

The Cape Girardeau School District has wrestled with the vagaries of financial issues for years. The district has a history of anticipating shortfalls or windfalls only to learn that just the opposite was true.

While it would be easy to point fingers and say these ups and downs were the fault of board members or administrators -- or both, the key to preventing these sometimes embarrassing episodes is for board members to get a better handle on the district's money and to make sure administrators are in place who have a real understanding of how complex school finances can be.

Recent actions by the school board indicate that steps are being taken in the right direction. At its meeting this week, the school board took the extra precaution of authorizing a special audit to make sure the district's financial house is in order.

Board members say all of the district's money is accounted for, but they want to make sure the district's accounting procedures are proper so that, in the future, such necessities as tax rates and state funding are not adversely affected.

That sounds like a prudent step to take.